All coal mines in east China's Jiangxi Province have been
ordered to halt operation following three deadly accidents that
left eight dead and 14 trapped.
Strict safety inspection must be carried out in all coal mines
across the province, and operation could not be resumed until all
safety problems are eliminated, according to an emergency circular
issued by the provincial work safety and mining authorities on
Thursday afternoon.
Fourteen miners remained trapped underground after the Zhayi
colliery in Fengcheng County was flooded early Thursday morning. A
total of 15 people were working underground when water gushed in
and one worker managed to escape.
Four pumps working overnight have helped to lower the water
level by 1.7 meters in the shaft. Nineteen workers entered the
shaft Friday morning to search for the missing, who are estimated
to be still alive, according to experts.
Officials from the State Administration of Work Safety have
arrived at the site of the accident to supervise the
investigation.
The township-level mine has an annual output of 30,000 tons and
employed 40 people.
In another flooding accident on Tuesday in Gongnong mine of Yudu
county, three workers were killed and 11 others survived.
Another five miners were killed in a gas explosion that ripped
through a coal mine shaft in Fengcheng on Monday.
(Xinhua News Agency August 17, 2007)